Rising senior Jazmine Gomez has been playing basketball for AHS since freshman

year of high school. She was on junior varsity for the first two years of high school,

but she made it onto varsity this year as a junior.

Being on varsity as a junior taught her many things. It took perseverance for her

to improve as she worked on different aspects of her athletic ability.

“In the beginning of the year my mental toughness was weaker,” said Gomez. “but

then throughout the season my mental toughness got stronger.”

In basketball as in any sport, mental toughness is important to the competitive

edge of a team. If you let your opponents intimidate you, then you might as well

give up before you start.

She relies on the support of her family and friends to keep her game up and keep

going strong. Her dad is especially important in her life, and has inspired her to work

harder. While being supportive, he also gives her feedback so that she can improve

her game and achieve her goals.

“My dad is always supporting me in the bleachers. He helped me see what I could

potentially do,” Gomez said. “He gives me constructive criticism.”

Next year as a senior, Gomez will be taking a leadership role in the team. She aspires

to do better than in past years. Though she does not know if her coach will select her as

captain, she has big plans for the team.

“I hope to improve our chemistry next year,” Gomez said. “With the seniors leaving

I hope that we can play better together.”

Gomez believes in herself, despite the fact that she has been through many experiences

with trial and error. Her resiliency is obvious in her ability to bounce back

from whatever happens.

“Even in the beginning if it seems too hard and you want to quit, keep pushing

and finish strong,” Gomez said.